light a fire under

Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Medical, Legal, Encyclopedia

0.03 sec.

light a fire under somebody (mainly American)

to make someone work better or harder It's time you lit a fire under those guys or they'll never finish painting the house.

See also: fire, light

Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content.

?Page tools

Printer friendly
Cite / link

Feedback

References in periodicals archive	?		Idioms browser	?		Full browser	?
One of the best ways to light a fire under your salespeople is to light two fires at once. Smart Managers Promote Sales Rivalries by Dr. Gary Goodman / Business community			life life after life and limb Life begins at forty life in the fast lane life in the raw life is cheap life is in hands Life is just a bowl of cherries Life is short and time is swift Life is too short Life isn't all beer and skittles life of the party Life's been good life's too short lifetime lift lift a finger lift a hand lift down lift from lift off lift the veil lift up light light a fire under light as a feather light at the end of the tunnel light dawns light fire light on light out light purse makes a heavy heart light relief light up light with lighten lighten load lighten up lightly lightning Lightning does not strike twice Lightning never strikes twice lights like like a bat out of hell like a blind dog in a meat market like a bolt from the blue like a bolt out of the blue like a bull at a gate like a bump on a log			Lige Daniels Ligeance Ligeance LIGEC Ligeia Ligement liger Ligers Ligeti Ligeti Ligeti, György Ligeti, Karoly Ligeti, Károly Ligeti, Lajos LIGG Ligge ligged Ligger Ligger liggers Liggett & Myers Tobacco Company Liggett, Hunter ligging Liggy & Dee light light light light light light light a fire under light a fire under someone light a fuse light a fuse light a fuse light a fuze light a fuze light a fuze light absorption Light Activated Adhesive Gripping Light Activated Gene Therapy Light Activated Silicon Controlled Rectifier light adaptation light adaptation light adaptation light adaptation Light Addressable Potentiometric Sensor Light Aerial Multipurpose Vehicle Light Aid Detachment light air Light Air Cavalry Troop Light Air Defense Artillery Light airborne multi-purpose system Light Aircraft Association Light aircraft carrier Light Aircraft Flyers Association Light Aircraft Landing Area Light Aircraft Maintenance Schedule Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association of Canada Light Aircraft Training Light Airfield Repair Package

Idioms and phrases

Free Tools:	For surfers: Free toolbar & extensions \| Word of the Day \| Help For webmasters: Free content \| Linking \| Lookup box \| Double-click lookup

Disclaimer
All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional.